Ministry rejects building over incomplete work

Kakumiro. The Ministry of Health has declined to commission a Shs300m-building planned to house medical workers at Kakindo Health Centre IV.The ministry, with support from Global Alliance Vaccine and Immunisation, contracted Zhoghao Oversees construction Engineering Company Ltd to construct the building.

However, officials from the ministry led by Dr Henry Luze, the deputy manager in-charge of the immunisation programme, local leaders and technical staff from Kakumiro District, refused to commission the building after observing some construction defects. They asked the contractor to redo the work.

The Kakumiro District chairperson, Mr Joseph Sentayi while speaking to the company commercial manager last week, Mr Wang Feifei, queried why he failed to meet the required standards as per the contract terms and why he failed to supervise the project.

Why the building was rejectedThe building was found to have developed cracks, it also had no water tanks and other facilities as required in the contract. “We found out that there are some things, which are not right and we decided to reject commissioning it until all mistakes are corrected,” Mr Sentayi said.He said much as district leaders did not contract the company to supervise civil works, they have the obligation of monitoring and demanding the right services.Mr Feifei admitted that he did not personally supervise the work and only relied on “experts” to do the job.

According to Mr Robert Senteza, the Kakumiro District health officer, “We are now waiting for the contractor to re-do the works before health workers at the facility can occupy it.”GAVI and Ministry of Health embarked on the construction of staff quarters at Muhorro Health Centre IV in Kagadi District and Kakindo in Kakumiro District last year.